Brendan88

Your right, If it was a voluntary change and no schedule or cancellation by the airline before the change than yes you cannot claim the origional miles.

wpcoe

I was intrigued by an OMAAT article announcing a 100% bonus when purchasing Flying Blue miles, so I decided to check on the mileage required for an upcoming trip and to check award availability.

It seems that I need to log-in to be able to do that. Is that correct?

If so, how do I enroll in Flying Blue? The best hope looked like the link https://www.klm.com/ams/account/#/register-flying-blue/ but that just opens a blank page in any browser I use.

Maestro Ramen

1984SW Try this link:
https://login.flyingblue.com/enrol/flyingblue

Be aware that the normal earning rate for FB Miles on AF/KL metal is "Close-to-Zero". So if you multiply "Close-to-Zero" by two, it's still "Close-to-Zero". However FB has the great advantage that it's fast to gain elite status, so with the double XP, this will become lightning fast!

And since you are based in Mexico, you will be able to earn decent mileage with AM and Delta flights too.

wpcoe

That page is a no go, too:

natcin

tried a search but cant find any info. does anyone know how donating miles work via flying blue? do they convert it to money and then donate it to the charity? if so, at what value is it? thanks!

hhdl

I'm US-based (currently DL but no status) and considering jumping to Flying Blue.

I'm anticipating a pattern shift from a few transcons a year (Y/Y+ until last year when I decided to pay for J going forward) to 35-ish intra-northeast segments (with a fair amount of connecting at LGA or DTW) in J. With DL that's something like 7-8k MQD (ignoring the current low fares), 35 MQS, and under 30k MQM (so reliable DL Silver and every few years a rollover-induced Gold) vs. 210 XP crediting to FB (which with rollover would be by itself reliable FB Gold after 18 or so months and once-a-decade Platinum). Throw in some TATL J (probably AF/DL/KL metal in order of preference from what I've seen) and it might be consistent DL Gold vs. alternating FB Gold/Platinum. That there's a non-zero chance of flying on FB-earning-but-not-SkyTeam-operated flights (so non-DL earning) and FB having a US credit card in the $100-ish fee bracket that earns elite credit (60 XP from the card plus TATL J plus the domestic flying would make it reliable Platinum if I'm not mistaken) make FB even more appealing.

I've read of regular issues with keeping a DL number on AFKL metal if you've ever had a FB number (e.g. seat selection resulting in the FB # getting on the ticket), so I'm a little wary of setting up an FB account unless I'm pretty sure I want to largely break up with DL (I'll still take DL credit for Lyft rides and things like that where I can't get FB credit). It seems like FB is a slam-dunk, but:

How are DL IROPS for FlyingBlue elites? How much does paid J improve the situation and does the amount of money a ST elite spends with DL affect things? That's basically the one consideration keeping me from signing up for Flying Blue.

Concerto

I have the Flying Blue Viseca credit card in Switzerland and I received a renewal bonus of 2,000 miles. I did not expect this, so I find this a generous bonus although the fee for the card is quite high (AFAIR CHF220).
​​​​​​By the way, not sure where to post about FB Swiss credit cards. A search did not reveal a dedicated thread.

squawk

I apologise if this is an obvious question to people more familiar with FB, but I've got ~30,000 miles I'd rather not have expire at the end of December (I think these were extended from October due to Covid).

With the Netherlands and France on the UK's quarantine list, taking a flight to extend these is going to be tricky - I would have to isolate for 2 weeks on my return. I will actually have to travel to Germany in November but probably going to use BA in order to avoid this quarantine on my return (unlike Germany, we don't have the option of a test on arrival here).

Is there any other way to extend these miles than flying, given the circumstances?

irishguy28

Acquiring status in Flying Blue (though they are not status-matching at present), or making a purchase with a Flying Blue AMEX (available in FR and NL) or Bank of America Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard (available in US), are the only ways other than flying to prevent your miles from expiring.

Rather than trying to fly, why not just spend the miles?

squawk

I'm really unfamiliar with the 'new' FB scheme, and haven't regularly flown KLM/AF for the last 4 years - but from what I recall, there weren't many non-flight ways of spending miles that represented good value. Has this changed? I know one used to be able to donate them to charity.

westi2002

Correct, non-flight spendings are a bad way to value your miles. Since circumstances for flying and spending your miles are not optimal, I expect KL/AF to exend the validity again, so I would suggest to hang on to them.

irishguy28

You can book flights up to September or maybe even October 2021....
beware, though, that if you cancel any flights booked past December, or whenever the miles would have expired, then you won't receive the miles back.

Goldorak

Did I miss something about revamped FB program unveiled in 2018 ? I am talking about the possibility to redeem as an award every seat available for sale on AFKL-operated flights.
Some relatives are trying to book FB awards for CDG-AMS-XYZ and return (AMS-XYZ is long-haul and KL-operated) and nothing is proposed (whatever you use AF or KL site/apps), while the flights are available for sale in cash. As one person is platinum, I advised her to call the PSL. I listened to the conversation and even spoke at once. Even if the PSL agent was very courteous, I have not been very impressed by her willingness to help and go out-of-the-box and also the feeling I truly dislike when you feel you know more than the AFKL agent.
-AF : indeed, no award availability on those flights. It is likely that the award quota has already been sold.
-me : I thought every seat available for sale was redeemable as FB award seat ?
-AF : may be for AF but it is possible that KL has different rules
-me : I sincerely don’t think so, unless there has been a recent change in rules.

I am strongly suspecting that this is simply due to this flight having been forgotten by KL to be available as award as this route has been recently launched by KL (there is never any availability, whatever the date). I mentioned that to the PSL agent who was skeptical and was more staying with the “all award seats have already been sold” which I don’t buy at all. She was not really willing to investigate further, but after some push from me, she said she would and call back. But I suppose it will take a few days to have a feedback.

So my question is : did I miss something about award availability under the “new FB” ? Was there any change silently introduced by FB ?
Thanks.

San Gottardo

Another "have the rules changed" question: no more award flights in Premiere? Assuming (hopefully not falsely) that intercontinental travel will be possible in summer next year I wanted to book an award for someone travelling with me, I'll be in paid P myself.

No more P awards, at all. Actually not only next year, already now.

Anyone knows more?

Goldorak

did you ask your Ulti TA ?